Old Fashioned Christmas Village
My earliest holiday memories were with my family around the Christmas tree. But our tree was always a little different. The village underneath it was huge, at least to me! It was complete with houses, an inn, a windmill with a little mirror pond and a boathouse, farm with livestock, and the Nativity manger. My father spent a whole week putting up all the handmade buildings and figurines, one of the homes was even a replica of my Grandparents house.
You see, my Grandfather started building the village in the 1920’s. He built them by hand out of cigar boxes. They certainly didn’t look like boxes when he was done though. They were complete with porches, widows, roof shingles, and chimneys. There was a hole cut out in the back to put a light from the old fashioned big Christmas bulbs. The village grew over time despite a model train fire in 1928. My father said it filled the entire front parlor. The surviving buildings were eventually passed onto my father, where he added some new additions and even built a new house.
I loved getting all the boxes out every year. My favorite part was unpacking all the animals for the farm, especially the little baby pig! Eventually we added replicas of my parents’ home and also my brother’s. It’s been the family village that keeps on growing.
Coming together at my parents’ house on Christmas Day with my big family and all my nieces and nephews was so much fun! My mom would have the kids search for something that was hidden in the village. I think it was really so they would quit asking “can we open presents now”?
Playing I spy was a good pastime around this village. This photo is from the 1970’s.
I had a hard time picking a favorite house!
Now, years later, my brother is the village keeper. It has grown even more!
There’s something about seeing the same Christmas star hanging over the manger as when I was little.
The little boat house was built by my Grandfather. It was even up on stilts.
The original windmill complete with wax paper windows.
The little gnome village is a new addition, but the pinecone Santa at the bottom is way before my time!
Christmas traditions give us comfort in our ever changing lives. They give us a solid footing so that we may navigate the new things that life throws at us. Enjoy your holidays this year, whatever your old and new traditions may be.